"Boom!"
The colossal explosion echoed like the collapse of a galaxy, shaking the earth and unleashing a storm of thunder.
The brilliant light drained everything of its color, prompting flocks of birds to hastily flee from the treetops, wings flapping and chirping to each other, though no sound could be heard.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, who had distanced themselves, looked back to witness the thunderous eruption.
"What an intense clash!"
Takeshi's wood clone displayed a moment of concern at the chakra explosion, but soon he seemed to sense nothing amiss with the main body, regaining composure.
"It's terrifying! Only a legendary tailed beast could generate such power!"
Observing the diminishing thunder light, Jiraiya expressed lingering fear.
"If we hadn't left, even as bystanders, we would have been affected by them!"
Tsunade remarked bitterly, recalling C's arrogant demeanor, the two attacks on them, and the damage to the slug, fueling her anger.
"These detestable Cloud shinobi, they've gone too far!"
"Absolutely, I'll teach them a lesson sooner or later!"
Jiraiya adjusted the strap on his back, vented to the air, and added, "But Tobirama-sama's troops should be close by, right?"
"Indeed, as long as those perceptive ninjas aren't collectively blind or deaf, they must have detected it and anticipated that Uchiha Dragon-sama would be in grave trouble."
Orochimaru asserted firmly.
"Let's proceed cautiously; we might encounter Konoha's ninjas."
"No worries, Tobirama-sama will surely handle those ignorant Cloud shinobi," Jiraiya laughed, then sighed with a hint of dejection.
"I used to think that if I could summon Toad Boss, I'd be invincible, but I never considered..."
"That's because you underestimate the powerhouses of the ninja world. If my grandfather were still here, he wouldn't tolerate such arrogance!"
Tsunade snorted with cold disdain, harboring deep resentment toward C and a slight dissatisfaction with her own strength as the heir of the Senju Clan. How could she reach the heights of her grandfather?
"That's true. Regardless of how strong that guy is, he can't compare to the first hokage!"
Jiraiya waved his hand indifferently, though he had never witnessed the legendary power of Wood Release.
"But then again, it's good timing to see which daring youth stepped forward to help us avert disaster. Well, if he doesn't make it, he should be honored when we have the chance!"
"Orochimaru": "..."
.....
"Indeed, this chakra... they're right ahead!"
A group of ninjas moved swiftly through the forest, leaving a trail of smoke behind, indicating a large following troop.
The lead Jonin, clad in blue armor with flowing white hair, extended his hand, and the ninjas behind him instantly halted, showcasing excellent discipline.
"These chakra fluctuations... Damn!"
Tobirama placed his hand on the ground, carefully sensing the distant chakra. His expression grew more solemn.
As Konoha's most perceptive figure, Tobirama's chakra sense exceeded the range of the Byakugan, detecting movements up to twenty kilometers away.
"Where's Uchiha Kagami's Chakra? Why can't I sense it?!"
Tobirama's face turned ashen, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was intimately familiar with Uchiha Kagami's chakra, but those fluctuations had seemingly vanished.
Two formidable chakras were engaged in a fierce battle—one familiar, the other obscure and peculiar, eluding easy identification. Tobirama couldn't easily control it, and he was unsure of the identity!
"Teacher, what's the situation?"
Danzo, standing behind Tobirama, couldn't help but ask.
Numerous other masked ninjas, members of Anbu, accompanied them.
Tobirama was about to respond when a violent thunder and lightning erupted, eliciting exclamations from everyone.
"Damn—!!"
Feeling the power at that level, Tobirama's expression worsened.
The level of chakra he possessed, though still below his own, was no less than that of the Second Raikage Ai or Kazekage Shamon!
Unbeknownst to Tobirama, C had made significant breakthroughs in the continuous battles, especially after defeating Kagami Uchiha. His strength now surpassed even the Second Raikage!
However, a formidable opponent engaging in a fierce battle so close without Tobirama receiving any information left him infuriated. Not only was it due to the Uchiha Kagami but also because of C's infiltration, and the fact that Tsunade was part of that team!
"Let's head there immediately, full speed ahead!"
Tobirama shot a cold glance at Danzo, then vanished without a word, utilizing the Flying Thunder God technique to swiftly move away.
"I—!"
Danzo felt like he had 10,000 grass-mud horses trampling over him. Despite being in charge of Anbu's intelligence work, he was genuinely at a loss.
How could the conspiracy of the Black Zetsu be discovered and thwarted by him and his operatives?
In this predicament, his burden made him want to cry, but he had no tears left.
"Bah! Uchiha's tricks!"
The thunder dispersed, and C stood alone in the enormous crater, the afterglow of the lightning lingering on his body. Evidently, employing such a powerful technique had taken a toll on him.
C panted slightly, and his once-standing hair now settled, indicating the exhaustion from not only excessive chakra consumption but also the aftermath of Uchiha Kagami's death-defying moves, leaving him with a long-forgotten sense of weakness.
However, C realized that now was not the time to relax.
With this massive attack, he had defeated a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred. While Takeshi's sinister sword chakra had all been shattered, Takeshi's figure was still shrouded in mist, his dark domain torn apart.
Yet, through a strong intuition, C was certain that Takeshi was not severely injured.
The surroundings were dense with mist, the opponent akin to a sinister snake lurking in the shadows, accumulating strength for a fatal blow!
"Patta-patta-"
C's ears twitched, noticing countless debris falling from the air, seemingly remnants of trees but slightly different.
"Patta—"
The area was covered in a layer of ash shards. C turned around, finding a red light flashing behind him!
"Huh? There! Prepare to meet your end!"
Without hesitation, C's Lightning Release Chakra Mode surged again, transforming into a thunderous light as he charged into the smoke, towards the source of the red light.
Regardless of the opponent's tricks, he was determined to finish them off with a single punch!
"Absolute cow—!"
C bellowed loudly, delivering a powerful strike!
Yet, as the smoke dispersed, a colossal column of fiery flames revealed itself!
"What?!"
C was taken aback. This move appeared to be one used by Kagami Uchiha. It seemed that this mysterious Uchiha was proficient in Fire Release as well.
"Break for me!"
Without hesitation, C struck the fire pillar with a punch, using his own technique to deflect it!
With advanced strength, C was confident that not even Uchiha Kagami, if still alive, could harm him with this move!
"Ha ha!"
The eyes beneath Takeshi's mask showed ruthlessness, yet a hint of amusement lingered.
"Secret Art, Flames to Ashes!"
"Boom!"
"Gu ah—!"
The compressed flames, almost tangible and radiating a purple sheen, indicated extreme heat.
Combined with natural energy, this technique, infused with true essence, wasn't easy to counter!
Uchiha Kagami had used this technique on the battlefield before. Orochimaru had quietly learned it through his copying ability, passing it on to Takeshi without Uchiha Kagami's knowledge.
The ninjutsu developed in the Warring States period was less complex than later generations, mainly practical. For instance, extinguishing a small fire led to a large fire breath, and extinguishing a large fire resulted in a super-large fire breath...
The principle of Uchiha Kagami's technique was to compress the flame into a fiery pillar, relatively simple.
Takeshi had tested it during a bounty mission, and the effect was impressive. It proved to be a formidable move against strong opponents.
Despite C's physical prowess, he couldn't withstand continuous flames. Under the scorching heat, he was sent flying with a scream.
"Hu-hu-"
Though advantageous, Takeshi also expended a significant amount of energy.
C's physical strength was remarkable, seemingly untouched by the battle against Uchiha Kagami; his strength was indeed formidable!
(He conveniently ignored the fight between C and the Sannin...)
However, Takeshi's goal wasn't to kill C, so he turned to look into the distance.
"It should be arriving soon..."
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer